But increasingly, doctors are identifying a group of people whose levels of L.D.L, the so-called bad cholesterol, are low, but who still appear to be at increased risk for atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.
They have a condition known as metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors that include mild hypertension, elevated glucose levels, high triglycerides and low levels of H.D.L. cholesterol.
People with the syndrome also tend to have high levels of a protein, known as C-reactive protein, or CRP, which is released during inflammation and has recently been linked to heart disease.
‘By far, the people we’re seeing with heart disease are people with metabolic syndrome, because weight gain is the driving force and people are gaining weight,’ said Dr. Arshed Quyyumi, a professor of cardiology at the Emory School of Medicine.” (New York Times )
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